BESLER STARTS IN UNITED STATES' FINAL MATCH OF 2014
Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler started and played the entirety of the United States Men's National Team's final match of 2014 on Tuesday. The U.S. fell 4-1 to Ireland in an international friendly at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Playing his 43rd match of 2014 across all club and international competitions, Besler concluded a campaign that saw him captain Sporting KC and start all four U.S. matches at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He played in 30 competitive matches for Sporting KC and led the national team with 11 starts this year.
The U.S. ended 2014 with a 6-5-4 record after reaching the Round of 16 at the World Cup, finishing runners-up in Group G behind eventual champions Germany. Tuesday's defeat to Ireland came on the heels of a 2-1 loss to Colombia last Friday in London, where Besler was an unused substitute.
The 27-year-old Besler is one of seven Sporting KC players to feature in international matches in 2014 along with Graham Zusi (USA), Lawrence Olum (Kenya), Jorge Claros (Honduras), Martin Steuble (Philippines), Soony Saad (Lebanon) and Erik Palmer Brown (USA U-20).
SPORTING KC PASSES IN CHIVAS USA DISPERSAL DRAFT
Sporting KC passed with its No. 3 overall selection in today's MLS Dispersal Draft for former Chivas USA players. FC Dallas selected goalkeeper Dan Kennedy with the first pick before D.C. United acquired forward Thomas McNamara second overall. A total of seven players were drafted by separate clubs. This year's Dispersal Draft was the second in MLS history, the first coming in 2002 after the contraction of the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny.
SKC ACADEMY ALUMS REPRESENT SIX TEAMS IN NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
The field of 48 teams in the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was announced on Monday. Seven players from six schools in the competition are Sporting KC Academy alums.
- Eric DeJulio (Creighton, junior defender)
- Raymond Lee (Saint Louis, senior midfielder)
- Andy Lopez (North Carolina, freshman midfielder)
- Zach Wright (North Carolina, freshman forward)
- Heath Honold (Wake Forest, freshman forward)
- Cole Stevenson (Denver, freshman forward)
- Matt Lewis (Fordham, freshman defender)
Held annually since 1959, the tournament will kick off with Thursday's first round, while all second-round action will take place Sunday. The third round will be played Nov. 30 and the quarterfinals will be played Dec. 5-6. The Men’s College Cup will be held Dec. 12 and 14 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
MARTIN STEUBLE STARTS FOR PHILIPPINES IN 3-0 FRIENDLY WIN
Sporting KC midfielder Martin Steuble started and played 60 minutes as the Philippines beat Cambodia 3-0 on Friday in an international friendly at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
Steuble now has 12 caps since making his international debut in March and started his third straight match for Thomas Dooley's squad as the Philippines prepares for the 2014 Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup. He previously played 45 minutes in a 3-0 win versus Nepal (Oct. 31) and the full 90 in a 3-0 loss at Thailand (Nov. 9).
The Philippines—No. 129 in the latest FIFA rankings—begins the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup on Nov. 22 in Group A, which also includes Vietnam, Indonesia and Laos.
The 26-year-old Steuble joined Sporting KC on July 16 from Swiss club FC Wil 1900. He featured in Sporting KC's international friendly against Manchester City on July 23 before making his MLS debut against the Philadelphia Union on Aug. 1 for the first of three league appearances. He previously spent his entire professional career in Switzerland, featuring for FC Wil 1900, Grasshopper Zurich, Lausanne Sport, FC Wohlen and Neuchâtel Xamax.
SWOPE SOCCER VILLAGE TO HOST NCAA DIVISION III MEN'S AND WOMEN'S FINAL FOURS
The Round of 16 is set the NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Championships, which will culminate on Dec. 5 and 6 at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri. First and Second Round matches were played Thursday through Sunday of last week, featuring 64 women's teams and 61 men's teams for the single-elimination tournaments.
The 2014 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Soccer Championships at Swope Soccer Village will be co-hosted by the Kansas City Sports Commission and Fontbonne University. This year's final four is the first of four consecutive years in which NCAA men's and women's soccer championships will be competed at the state-of-the-art complex (Division III in 2014 and 2015; Division II in 2016 and 2017).
The 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer College Cup will be held at Sporting Park from Dec. 11-13, 2015. For more information, visit NCAA.com/championships.
SPORTING CLUB AND WWI MUSEUM TO CO-HOST SECOND ANNUAL TRUCE TOURNAMENT
Sporting Club and the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial will host the second annual Truce Tournament on Dec. 26. The Kansas City soccer community is invited to participate in the 3v3 tournament that will be played on Liberty Hill and attend an English Premier League Watch Party inside the WWI Museum.
Following a tradition that began last year, the 2014 Truce Tournament comes on the 100th Anniversary of World War I and pays homage to the time-honored story of the Christmas Truce. According to legend, WWI battles temporarily ceased around Christmas 1914 as members of both warring armies ventured into No Man’s Land to exchange gifts, sing carols and play soccer.
Registration for the event is now open at www.TheTruceKC.com. Click here for more information on the Truce Tournament.
SPORTING CLUB PRESENTS NEW CLOTHING LINE
Sporting Club has released its new fashion line for Sporting KC, offering fans an extensive selection of new clothing and merchandise. The Sporting Club brand -- featuring recently released men's and women's items -- is available for purchase on Sporting Style’s website while supplies last. Fans are encouraged to follow @SportingStyle on Twitter throughout the holiday season for all the latest news.
KANSAS CITY STEAK COMPANY HOSTS SPORTING KC FAN SWEEPSTEAKS
Sporting KC fans can visit SportingKC.com/meatandgreet to enter for a chance to win The Meat and Greet Sweepsteaks presented by Kansas City Steak Company. The winner, selected at random on Dec. 3, will receive a year’s supply of meat from Kansas City Steak Company and a dinner with a Sporting KC player.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR NCAA D-II FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP AT SPORTING PARK
Tickets are on sale to the general public for the NCAA Division II Football Championship to be played at Sporting Park on Dec. 20. Hosted by the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Associations and the Kansas City Sports Commission, the championship game will be held inside the state-of-the-art stadium for the next four years. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com while supplies last.
The 24-team bracket for the tournament was revealed last Sunday. Pittsburg State University (Pittsburg, Kansas) and Northwest Missouri State University (Maryville, Missouri) earned No. 3 and No. 5 seeds, respectively. The two programs have combined for eight Division II Football Championships and one of either Pittsburg State or Northwest Missouri State has played in the championship game in eight of the past 10 years.
FOLLOW SPORTING KC ONLINE
Sporting KC fans looking to keep up with the club online now have a place to go. The Social Media page on SportingKC.com features Twitter account information for the club, its players and several staff members. Fans may also take advantage of the Media Recap page for all the latest independent news coverage.
